How to Spot Storm Chaser Roofers in Calgary

After the 2020 and 2024 hailstorms, northeast and northwest Calgary were flooded with door-to-door roofing crews, some from other provinces and some from the U.S. Many homeowners were well served. Others paid deposits to companies that disappeared, or were left with roofs that leaked a year later and nobody to call.

You do not need to distrust everyone. You need to check five things.

The five checks

1. Prepaid contracting licence (before any deposit)

In Alberta, a contractor who takes money before the work is complete and makes the contract away from their normal place of business, such as at your door, is a prepaid contracting business. They must be licensed by Service Alberta and post financial security. Ask for the licence number and check it on alberta.ca before you hand over a cent.

If they will not give a number, do not pay a deposit.

2. WCB clearance letter

WCB Alberta issues clearance letters showing a contractor’s account is in good standing. If an uncovered worker is hurt on your roof, you could face questions about liability. Ask for a current clearance letter, not just a number.

3. Liability insurance

Ask for a certificate of insurance showing commercial general liability coverage. It protects your property if the crew damages your home.

4. A real local presence

A local office address, a local phone number that has been around for years, and online reviews that predate the latest storm. Look the address up. A hotel, a P.O. box or a rented lot is a warning sign.

5. A written contract that matches the insurance scope

The contract should name the shingle product, list what is included, set a start window, state the warranty, and include your cancellation rights. It should not let the contractor take over your claim or receive your insurance money directly unless you fully understand and want that.

Red flags at the door

• “We were working on your neighbour’s roof and noticed damage on yours.”
• “We’ll cover your deductible” or “You won’t pay a thing.”
• Pressure to sign today, or a “storm special” that expires tonight.
• A request to sign an “inspection agreement” that turns out to be a contract or an assignment of your claim.
• Cash-only deposits, or a deposit with no prepaid contracting licence.
• No office address, or an address outside Alberta.
• Offers to “handle everything with your insurer” as if they were your adjuster. In Alberta, adjusting someone else’s claim requires a licence.

What a legitimate post-storm visit looks like

Not every knock is a scam. A legitimate contractor who canvasses after a storm will:

• give you a business card with a local address and phone number you can check
• offer an inspection and a written report, with no contract to sign that day
• tell you to call your own insurer, rather than offering to “handle the claim”
• leave you time to get a second opinion
• answer licensing and WCB questions without hesitation

Be careful with “direction to pay” and similar forms

Some contractors ask homeowners to sign a form that tells the insurer to pay the contractor directly, or that authorizes the contractor to deal with the insurer on your behalf. These forms can be legitimate once you have chosen a contractor and agreed on a contract. Signed at the door before any inspection, they can lock you in to a company you haven’t checked. Read every document before signing. If it mentions your insurer, your claim or your insurance money, take it away and read it properly first.

If you already signed at the door

Alberta’s consumer protection law generally gives a 10-day cooling-off period for contracts signed at your home with a door-to-door seller. You can usually cancel within that window without giving a reason. Do it in writing and keep proof of delivery. Conditions apply, so read the cancellation section of your contract, and contact Service Alberta’s consumer contact centre if you are unsure.

If a deposit was taken by an unlicensed contractor, report it to Service Alberta.

Our numbers, for comparison

We do not sell door to door and we never sign contracts at the first inspection. Book a free hail roof inspection and compare. If you want to understand how a claim should go, read how to file a hail claim in Alberta or see how we handle insurance claim roofing.